No Operator’s License

In North Carolina, the law states, “To drive a motor vehicle on a highway, a person must be licensed by the Division under this Article or Article 2C of this Chapter to drive the vehicle and must carry the license while driving the vehicle.”  If you have driven a vehicle with no license, or if you did not have your driver’s license when you were pulled over or stopped at a roadblock, you could be facing a charge of driving with no operating license.  There are several other ways that a person can be charged with NOL.

For instance, the statute goes on to say, “A person holding a commercial drivers license issued by another jurisdiction must apply for a transfer and obtain a North Carolina issued commercial drivers license within 30 days of becoming a resident. Any other new resident of North Carolina who has a drivers license issued by another jurisdiction must obtain a license from the Division within 60 days after becoming a resident.”  Therefore, if you have resided in North Carolina for 60 days, then you are required to have a North Carolina operator’s license.  However, if you are a commercial drivers license holder, and you move to North Carolina you must get a North Carolina license within 30 days.  If you fail to get a North Carolina license, you can be charged with No Operator’s License.  Another common issue is an expired license.  If you are driving with an expired license, you are technically driving with no operator’s license, since you are not currently licensed by the Division of Motor Vehicles to operate a vehicle in this state.  Finally, if you are driving a vehicle that you do not have the correct license to drive, you can be ticketed for NOL.  For instance, if you are driving a vehicle that requires a Class A license, and only have a Class C license, then you could be facing a charge of no operator’s license.  As you can see, there are more ways to get this charge other than just not having your license.

What are the penalties of a No Operator’s License conviction?  NOL is an infraction, which is punishable by a fine of up to $100 (plus court costs).  A conviction will also lead to 3 points on a drivers license.  If 12 or more points are accumulated within 3 years, the Division of Motor Vehicles will suspend your license.  Further, if a license is reinstated, and the driver gets 8 more points within three years, the license will be suspended again.  This cycle can continue to lead to problems, since the license can be suspended time after time.  If you drive while your license is revoked, you could be charged with driving while license revoked (DWLR).  When this happens, your problems begin to “snowball,” and what started as a relatively minor offense becomes more serious.

No Operator’s License is considered a “moving violation,” and will give you 1 point on your insurance.  This can result in a penalty of up to a 30% increase in your insurance premiums.  Hopefully, your insurer will not raise your rates, but this cannot be guaranteed.  Lastly, this is an offense that can make it onto your record.  This could have numerous impacts on your life.  For example, in the future, if you get tickets, you may not be able to negotiate the same deals that can be negotiated now.  It is important to protect your record at all times, because if you do face a traffic ticket in the future, the consequences may be much less if your record is clean.  If, on the other hand, you have an extensive record, you could be facing much harsher penalties.  If you can get your license back, then the Assistant District Attorney may be willing to dismiss the case.  If you can not get a license, then you may have to seek some other resolution for your case.

A charge of NOL can add irritation to anyone’s life.  Fortunately, we may be able to help you.  We will work to make sure that you don’t have to deal with the frustration of going to court, while at the same time working to lower the impact of this charge on your life.  Call us today to discuss your ticket.  We will be glad to help you understand your options.